certificate
cer·tif·i·cate/səˈtɪf.ɪ.kɪt/noun, verb, adjective
certificate is spelled C-E-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-E: 11 letters and 4 syllables (cer·tif·i·cate). It appears 19 times per million words in written English, the 4,365th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, certificate means “A document containing a certified statement” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of certificate is certificates.
How many letters and syllables are in certificate?
| Letters | 11: C-E-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: cer·tif·i·cate |
| In writing | 19 times per million words; the 4,365th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is certificate?
Certificate appears 19 times per million words in written English, the 4,365th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce certificate?
- /səˈtɪf.ɪ.kɪt/
- /səˈtɪf.ɪ.kət/
- /sɚˈtɪf.ɪ.kət/
As a verb (“To supply with a certificate, especially following…”): /səˈtɪf.ɪˌkeɪt/, /sɚˈtɪf.ɪˌkeɪt/, /səˈtɪf.ɪˌkæɪt/.
Certificate has 4 syllables, split cer·tif·i·cate in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-certificate.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-certificate.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-certificate2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of certificate
- certificates plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- certificating participle, present
- certificated participle, past
- more certificate comparative
- most certificate superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does certificate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A document containing a certified statement.
- 2
A document evidencing ownership or debt.
- 3
A document serving as evidence that a person has completed an educational course, issued either by an institution not authorised to grant diplomas, or to a student not qualifying for a diploma.
- 4
The information needed in order to verify a positive answer to a problem.
- 5
Ellipsis of public key certificate.
- 6
IrelandUKA motion picture age rating.
The film is certificate 15.
- 7
obsoleteSynonym of certification.
verb
- 1
To supply with a certificate, especially following certification.
adjective
- 1
Certified, assured.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Certificate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | document, certificat , diplôme |
| German | Zertifikat, Zeugnis , Bestätigung , zertifizieren, bescheinigen, beglaubigen |
| Portuguese | certificado |
| Spanish | certificado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does certificate come from?
The noun is from Middle English certificat, certificate, sertyfycat, from Middle French certificat or its etymon Medieval Latin certificātum. The verb is from the noun. The adjective is a learned borrowing from Latin certificātus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).